Does High Blood Pressure Prevent Me From Having Dental Implants?

High blood pressure occurs when your arteries undergo an increase in blood presure persistently, which may continue for a prolonged period. This condition is also known as hypertension, and it makes it more difficult for your heart to pump sufficient amount of blood to be transported to various parts of the body. When your heart beats, blood is pumped through your arteries and brought to the entire body for nourishment. However, each time your blood pressure becomes elevated, the heart finds it more difficult to pump. Unfortunately, most cases of high blood pressure does not come with any symptoms. Thus, it is best to identify any occurences of this condition as it can result to coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disorders.Understanding High Blood Pressure

To determine if you are suffering from high blood pressure, it is best to have a clearer understanding of what the normal level is. Basically, if your blood pressure is under 120/80, it is still considered within normal range. The systolic measurement (120) is the peak pressure in your arteries while the diastolic measurement (80) is the minimum amount of pressure in your arteries. Once your blood pressure reaches 120/80 up to 139/89, this means you are having prehypertension or a high risk of hypertension. If you go beyond these ranges, you are already suffering from hypertension or high blood pressure.

Hypertension is cused by a wide range of factors – from poor diet, lifestyle and the presence of other ailments. Some people are also more prone to undergo high blood pressure because of poor genetics and stress. Among the common causes of high blood pressure include a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, stress, kidney disorder, lack of mineral in the body (magnesium, potassium and calcium), aging and effects of medications. Considering these risk factors, it is best to become fully aware of any medical conditions you may have to prevent high blood pressure. This is particularly true if you are planning to undergo medical procedures such as dental implantation.

High Blood Pressure and Dental Implantation

Before you decide to get dental implants, it is important to understand any risks you may have of getting hypertension. After all, managing the after-effects dental implantation may require you to take certain medications. For instance, since anxiety may cause an increase in blood pressure, you may be advised by your doctor to take medications to minimize stress that can make you anxious. These drugs should not create any contradicting or adverse effects to your anti-hypertension medications.

In addition, come medicines for blood pressure management can lead to dry mouth or an alteration in your sense of taste. Calcium channel blockers also result to some swelling of your gum tissue, and this may impact your chewing. Having an overgrown tissue in your gum may also make it tougher for you to clean your teeth along the gum line, which may cause you to visit your dentist more frequently to prevent dental concerns.

In case you are suffering from high blood pressure, yet you are looking to go through dental implantation, it is essential that you inform your dentist immediately. This way, the right anesthetics will be determined, since some options can be detrimental to hypertensive patients such as epinephrine that may result to arrhythmias and heart attack, to name a few.

Bottom Line

As long as your high blood pressure is within your control, then there should be no problem when it comes to getting dental implants. Just make it a point to inform your dentist immediately of your existing condition and the medications you are taking, so he could provide the right treatment option that addresses your needs.